Review Summary: Pleasant background music.
Rave Tapes was a tepid listen. It had some nice moments, more than a few in fact, but not one left a lasting impression nor instilled the urge to ever hear it again. With that said, you would think an EP containing three unreleased tracks from the
Rave Tapes sessions and three remixes of
Rave Tapes songs, that the result would be equally as forgettable as the album was; and you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that.
Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1. is more of an extension of
Rave Tapes than anything else. However, when treated as a standalone release, it fares much better. For one, the remixes of the album tracks are far more interesting than their respective counterparts. ‘Re-Remurdered’ provides a dark
Nine Inch Nails esque edge to the retro sound of the original, and the lush piano melodies on Nils Frahm’s ‘The Lord Is Out of Control’ remix add an extra layer of tranquil beauty to its already alluring sweeping progressions.
The three new tracks have their own unique voice and inspirit a tender sense of subtlety that was lacking on
Rave Tapes. Single ‘Teenage Exorcists’ immediately presents itself as a shoegaze-y
Interpol B-side, but sets the ominous tone of the record nicely, largely due to the band’s fragile vocal performance. Mogwai utilize layers to build upon ‘History Day’s hypnotic beat, which is further exemplified on ‘HMP Shaun William Ryder’ by harmoniously alternating between emphatic distortion and quiet refrains. Despite these intricacies, the EP never traverses the line that distinguishes immersive atmospheres from quaint background music. Because of this, nothing from
Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1. imbues any sense of fulfillment upon listening, but as a harmless EP that doesn’t deviate much from its predecessor,
MI3FI1 just goes to show that humble tepidness can indeed be pleasant in small doses.
